Electric-current economizer.



W. L. IMLA'Y.

ELECTRIC CURRENT EGONOMIZER.

APPLICATION FILED JAILZ, 1914.

1,126,016, Patented Jan.26, 1915.

. awe/who; @g g mlliam [almla] wi/lmeooao -member, and normally WILLIAM L. IMLAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT ECONOMIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26. 1915.

Application filed January 2. 1914. Serial No. 310,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. IMLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- (lurrent Economizers, of which the following is aspecification.

, My invention relates to improvements in electric current economizers, and more particularly to an improved system of electric distribution in which a distributer is provided connected with a number of consuming circuits, and engaged by a brush in a source circuit, the brush movable into contact with the distributer only upon the attainment of the proper rotary motion of the member carrying the brush.

A further object is to provide a step-down device consisting of a distributer comprising a circular series of contacts adapted to be engaged by a brush carried by a rotary out of'engagement with the contacts, means being provided which compel the brush to move into engagement with the contacts only after a pre determined speed is attained by the brush carrying member, and which device compels the brush to move away from the contacts when the speed of the brush carrying member diminishes.

A further object is to provide elastic means for normally holding the brush of a device such as above referred to, away from the contacts, the spring being overcome by centrifugal action of pressure of air when the carrying member is revolved at a suliicient speed.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism of the character stated in which a plurality of consuming circuits may be supplied from a source circuit in such a way as to greatly economize the current, permitting a plurality of lamps, motors, or other devices in the consuming circuits to efficiently operate from a source circuit of a voltage normally used for operatin g a lesser number of such devices.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2'2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a modification, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustratmg a simple form of electric circuits which may be utilized in carrying out my invention.

1 represents a base of non-conducting material and 2 are standards secured on the base and supporting a stationary shaft 3.

5 represents a distributer which structurally resembles the ordinary commutator but operates to distribute the current and not accumulate as does the commutator. This distributer consists of a circular series of contact blocks 5 insulated from each other and from the shaft and secured to a sleeve 6 held against rotary movement on the shaft by means of a set screw 7. A. disk 8 is mounted to turn freely on the shaft 3 adjacent one end of the distributer 4:, and is provided with a pulley 9 driven by a belt 10 from any source of power.

A sleeve 11 is interposed between the disk 8 and the sleeve 6 and secured by means of a set screw 12. A coiled spring 13 is located around shaft 3 and bears at one end against one of the bearings 14 on a standard 2. The other end of the coiled-spring bears against a washer 15 which is located against the pulley 9 and serves to press the disk 8 against sleeve 11.

A brush holder 16 is'pivotally supported between [its ends on a screw 17 secured to a stud 18 fixed to disk 8 and extending through 1 a sleeve 19 on the brush holder to secure the brush holder in place, yet allow the same a free pivotal movement. A brush 20 is secured in one end of the brush holder, and a slotted arm 21 is provided on the other end of the brush holder into which the free end of a spring 22 projects. This spring 22 is secured at one end in a clamp 23 on the disk 8, and by adjustment of the spring longi tudinally in the clamp,

varied, and I may employ other means for varying the strength or tension of the spring to control the action of the brush holder as will more fully hereinafter appear.

its tension may be A rod 24 is secured to the brush holder" as will be explained. Instead of this rod 24, 4

I might employ a flat blade as indicated in Fig. 4:, which would be operated pneumatically or in other -words by pressure against the air when the disk is revolved to move the brush into engagement with the contacts.

The disk 8 carries an arm 31 which operates to balance the weight of the brush holder. To properly adjust this balance, I

provide'a slot 32 in the arm 31 and locate a bolt 33 is said slot held by nuts 34: at anyposition of adjustment. This exact form of alance is of course immaterial as 'I may use other forms of balance which Wlll msure the best results.

In Fig. 5, I show an electric diagram illustrating my invention. 26 represents a wlre connecting the positive pole of the electric source 2'7 with the brush 20. This connection is made through one of the standards 2 as shown clearly in Fig. 1, the currentpassing through the standard, through the shaft 3, disk 8, brush holder 16, and brush 20. The negative wire extends from the negative side of'the electric source and connects to.

one pole of each of the lamps 29. The other poles of the lamps are connected by wires with the different contacts 5 of the distributer 4:.

While I have illustrated lamps in the consuming circuits, it is of course to be understood that'any form of device or ap aratus for utilizing the electric current miglitbe in the consuming circuits, and not limited in this particular.

In operation, as soon as a sufiicient speed is imparted todisk 8 to move the brush holder by centrifugal action or air pressure as above explained, the brush 20 will suecessively close the consuming circuits and the speed will be sufiicient to so rapidl close the circuits as to prevent any detection by the eye that the circuits have been opened at all. Until a sufiicient speedis attained by the disk, there will be no closing of any of the consuming circuits because the brush 20 willbe held out of contact by means of the spring 22. This is of the utmost importance would be ruinous to allow the brush to re-- main in contact for of time with any of at a standstill, or while runnin at a low from the distributer.

is not limited to any par-i but is adapted for use as a curbecause the source current will be of aconslderably greater voltage than is desirable in any of the consuming circuits, hence it any appreciable len h tributer.

prevent any sue contact, while t e disk is 'speed,-.because as soon as the spec is diminished, the spring operates to overcome'the" move the brusheway centrifugal force and y invention tlcular use,- rent economizer 1n c gegreat many ways, nor is mymvention l1m1 "substantially as described. theinvention is the contacts of the is-- The spring therefore vo crates toto the specific details the contact member to move the contact into engagement-with the distributer when said er attains a pre-determined speed, submem stantially as described.

-2. The combination with a distributer, of

a rotary member, a brushholder'on said member carrying a brush and having means normally be the rotary movement of the said member, whereby the brush is moved into contact ding the brush out-of contact With-the distributer, and means operated by'isa' I withthe distributor when said member at- 7 tains a pre-determined' peed,'substantia1ly as descr bed.

a rotary member, a brush holder pivotally connected to the member, and having at one end a brush normallyout of contact withthe distributer, and means operated, by the rotary'movement ofthe member for moving the brush into contact with the distributer,

4. The combination with a distributer, of

a rotary member, abrush holder pivotally connected to the member,

and having at one end a brush normally'out of contact with the distributer, and a device connected to the.

action to move the brush into contact with the distributer, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a distributer, of a rotary member, a brush carried by the rotary member, a spring normally holding the brush out of contact with the distributer,

and means operated by the rotary movement of the member for overcoming the spring and moving the spring intocontact with the v distributer, substantially as described.

GP-The' combination with adistributer, of

tary member, a spring normally ho ding the brush out of the brush, saiddevice thrown outwardly by the rotary movement of the member to overcontact wi the distributer, substantially as brush holder and operated by centrifugal v v 115. a rotary member, a brush carried b the r0 contact with the Ydistributefl-i-l and a 'device connected to andmovable with' come the-siprmg and move the. brush into described.

7. The cbmb ihaitn wah a distributer, of a a rota member, a brush holder pivoted be tween its ends to the rotary member and. carrying a brush at one end, a spring connected to the member and engaging the rush brush holder normally holding the 9 0 3. The combination with'a distributer of out of contact With the distributer, and

means connected to the brush holder and adapted to be operated by the centrifugal action of the member to overcome the spring and move the brush into contact with the distributer, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a distributer, of a rotary member, a brush holder pivoted between its ends to the rotary member and carrying a brush at one end, said brush holder having a slotted arm at its other end, a spring secured to the rotary member, and its free end engaging in the slotted arm normally holding the brush away from the dis tributer, and a rod secured to the brush holder and adapted to be moved by the centrifugal action of the member to overcome the spring and move the brush into contact with the distributer, substantially as described,

9. The combination with a distributer comprising a circular series of contacts, of

a rotary member, a brush on said rotary member normally spaced from the contacts of the distributer, said brush connected to the positive side of a source current, a series of electrically operated devices having their negative poles connected to the negative side of the source current, and their positive poles connected to the respective contacts of the distributer, and means operated by the rotary movement of said member for moving the brush into engagement with the contacts of the distributer when the rotary member attains a pre-determined speed, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, WILLIAM L. IMLAY.

Witnesses:

G. R. ZIIEGLER, S. W. Fos'ran. 

